'Out of sight, out of mindl' So goes the saying.

But is Steffi Graf so unobtrusive a personality to be considered a rule and not an exception?

Certainly not. And I like to emphasise that with all the force at my command.

It Is true the 'Golden Girl' has had a disastrous year — a year that has physically bogged her down. She had no control over her injury that forced her to hit the sack midway through the year. She tried with all her might and money to stave off the knee injury but in vain. The superb human machine — an envy of all her tour colleagues. Juniors and seniors, fights on two fronts. Her personal misfortune that saddened her as Peter Graf, her father & manager. is picked up by the German taxrjien and her injury. She is still not ready and probably be out of action till February '98.

Since her unexpected defeat by the tiny giantkiller' from South Africa. Amanda Coetzer at the Australian Open last January in the fourth round. Steffi did never recover either mentally or physically. Amanda's victory was decisive (6-2, 7-5). By now Steffi was already nursing her knee, reading books and waiting for Tokyo. She reached the final but had to withdraw. In between the world saw the emerging youngest No. 1 in the world of women's tennis — Martina Hingis. In Tokyo it was only a formality as Martina lifted the trophy while Steffi smiled — but not painfully.

The shadow of Amanda engulfed the tennis genius at Roland Garros also. This time it was the quarterfinals and since that eventful May day the queen has abdicated her throne.

Steffi's absence has hardly been talked about in the Women's Tour. In fact she has received less attention than Monica Seles 'Grunt,' when she had to be out of action for quite a long time. The small girl from the town of Bruhl in Germany turned pro at the tender age of 13 in October 1982. Since then she never looked back. 1996 turned out to be the most disastrous year for her but by 1995 she has won as many as 21 Grand Slams — three short of Margaret Court Smith s 24 —

the record.

The highly professional and efficient but a very softspoken and pleasing personality. Steffi has distinguisned herself as the third Grand Slam winner in the history of women's tennis after Maureen Connolly and Margaret Court in 1988 at the age of only 19. The same year she won the Singles title at the Seoul Olympics. Since the computer rankings began in 1973 only six players finished with the coveted number one ranking. Steffi has finished on top eight times till 1996. more than any other player, her nearest being Martina Navratilova (7 times).

Steffi started playing at the age of 4. The busy schedule of

the tour can not deter her from reading or playing at cards or listening to music whenever the opportunity comes along. She has a Steffi Graf Youth Tennis Centre founded and dedicated October 1991 in Leipzig. Germany.

Women tennis has not been the same since Steffi has been sidelined. But her absence has given breathing space to many young players as well as older ones.

I wish Steffi returns to the court, enthralls the tennis buffs all over the world once again and finds her rightful

Afterall. tennis without Steffi is like life without music.